


Zombie Teeth

by CynicalGamer



Series: Zombie Teeth AU [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombies, Angst, Blood, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-16
Updated: 2013-08-25
Packaged: 2017-12-18 05:35:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/876203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynicalGamer/pseuds/CynicalGamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Three months of losing people, Gus and Burnie meet in the middle of the road. During their nonsensical arguing, Joel finds them and though he knows they're total idiots, takes them in anyway. Besides, he could use the company.<br/>((Part 2 of the Zombie AU. You do NOT need to read Zombie Hunter first to understand this.<br/>No one knew eachother before the apocalypse.))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Month Four

**Author's Note:**

> Wheee  
> I'm still a terrible writer
> 
> As you might notice soon, this takes place at a later point than Zombie Hunter is at right now
> 
> You don't have to read Zombie Hunter first, you can read in any order

Burnie ran fast, struggling to keep his breathing steady. He wasn't showing to slow down any time soon.  
What was he running from? Everything.  
It'd been four months of hell. Over and over again, a constant battle for his own life and an impossibility to keep others alive. He became light headed, but pressed on, through the winding city streets. He looked around him, feeling a pain in himself. This wasn't the Austin he knew. So why did he stay?

He rounded a corner, only to stop suddenly at the sight of another man.  
The man looked over, dark eyes focused on Burnie. He didn't look to be in good shape; he was tall, but lanky, barely any meat on his bones. His orange T-shirt looked rather large on him, aswell as the brown shorts he wore. There was scratch upon scratch across his glasses, indicating many things.  
Still, none of it mattered.

Burnie raised his gun, still gasping for air. The stranger raised his own gun in response, looking scared.

Though this guy looked pretty awful, Burnie wasn't much better looking. His hair was messy and his short beard was growing unruly. The long sleeved white shirt he wore wasn't really white anymore and actually had quite a bit of blood on it. His buttoned up blue flannel was also covered in muck and blood. His jeans weren't any cleaner.  
"Who the...fuck are you?" He barked in between breaths. "Who the fuck are YOU?" The other man quickly responded.

"If I...say my name...will you...say yours?" Burnie asked, finger hovering near the trigger. "Yeah, sure."  
"Burnie."  
"Gus."

They were silent for a bit, neither man lowering their weapon. "So. You going to drop your weapon, asshole?" Burnie asked, now able to breathe. "Not with that attitude, dick." Gus replied. "Fine." He had to think quick. This guy could be dangerous, or maybe he could be a good ally. Then again, the world wasn't so kind to him before. Either way led to something bad. He'd lost everything to this new life.

His girlfriend within a week. His new friends within a month. Kathleen a month later.

Burnie was all that was left, and he didn't deserve it one bit.

"Are we just going to stand here like a bunch of fucking idiots?" Gus suddenly asked, venom lining his tone. Like Burnie knew the answer to that! There was no way to know anything for sure now. "What else do you propose we do?" He questioned aggressively. Gus shifted his glance towards the ground, probably thinking. Apparently he didn't know what to do either.  
"You could just put your gun down. I'm a cop." Burnie suggested, trying his best to lie.  
"I don't believe you're a real cop, asshole!"  
"Yeah, well...you can still put your gun down." Gus rolled his eyes at that, still firmly gripping what seemed to be a hunting rifle of sorts.

In the distance, a man dragged his feet across weed infested concrete. The sidewalk was absolutely destroyed by the local plants. He ruffled his spiky black hair, eyes looking tired. There was nothing more exhausting than scavenging. This city had been dead for awhile, but walking through it only brought back memories. Those memories haunted him every night and now every day.  
Fucking apocalypses, man.

His grey hoodie, with sleeves rolled up, needed to be washed off. It was layered with dirt and guts from his time surviving, but it wasn't like he'd found a replacement. Maybe if he expanded his searches, then he'd end up near the old Target and he could find a new hoodie. That wouldn't be so bad, considering the possibility of food and basic first-aid supplies. Yeah.  
Sounded like a plan.

His very faint smile was quickly gone when the sound of arguing filled his ears. Fucking great!  
With only a sigh, he headed off towards the noise, ending up about fifteen feet away from Gus and Burnie. "Fucking hell..." He muttered, watching carefully.  
"Okay, okay! How about this..." Burnie seemed to be thinking.  
"Go on..." Gus insisted impatiently.  
"You drop your weapon and I walk back where I came from?" Burnie seemed hopeful on that one. Gus shook his head no, scowling. "No fucking way! What if you don't leave and instead shoot my head?!"

The man in the hoodie would've usually laughed at such childish behavior, but not in these circumstances.  
"Why the fuck would I do that?!"  
"Cause I have supplies!"  
"Not like I know what kind of shit you have!"

He sighed, finally deciding to interrupt. This had gone on long enough and the last thing he needed was Rotten ending up ontop of them. "What the FUCK are you guys doing?" He surprised them, both men jumping at the sound.  
"Holy shit! Who the fuck are you?!" Burnie asked, moving his gun aim between Gus and the stranger. "I'm Joel, and you two are the stupidest fucking people I've ever seen! What in the fuck could you possibly gain from shooting the other?! Hoo boy! You get some supplies! That does NOT counteract the negative side of things! Now! Both of you, put the guns down, get your shit together, and come with me!" Joel pretty much yelled at them, turning on his heel and sluggishly walking away.

Burnie and Gus exchanged looks, but lowered their guns. This guy seemed to know what was going on.  
So they followed Joel, no one saying a word.


	2. We Got A Team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like dialogue
> 
>  
> 
> also, look out for some foreshadowing ;D

The small bakery Joel called home hardly looked like a bakery at all.  
The windows were boarded up, the counter was stripped and torn apart for wood, and there were supplies organized against the wall. Burnie slowly walked around the area, not sure if he should speak or not. "Uh...nice shithole..." Gus commented, gripping his hunting rifle tightly. Joel snorted, but didn't bother to respond.

"So, uh...Joel, right? What's...up?" Burnie grinned nervously, gaining the attention of the older man. He didn't look amused. "Oh, you know...the fucking apocalypse and all." The room suddenly was silent, until Joel smirked. "Jeez, relax you idiots..." He rolled his eyes, setting down his gun and removing his hoodie, revealing a plain black T-shirt.  
"Make yourself comfy, cause night's coming soon." Gus and Burnie shifted awkwardly, but both ended up sitting on the ground.

Joel released a pleasant sigh, stretching out. "Tell me about yourselves...what were you like before you were fucking stupid?" He grinned, loving the expressions he received. "Ha fucking ha, asshole!" Gus deadpanned, glaring hard. Joel raised up his hands in defense, still smiling. "Hey! Not my fault you were out in the middle of the fucking street about ready to shoot eachother!" Gus simply rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He wasn't in the mood for this shit.  
"Is this what this team's going to be like?" Burnie asked, chuckling softly. Joel shrugged and Gus huffed.

"So where you guys from?" The older man asked, still faintly smiling. Gus wondered why he was smiling so much, but figured quickly that he honestly didn't give a shit. "Local." Burnie answered. "Same."  
"Well then, we're all local..." Joel concluded, scratching his head.

"Guess none of us decided to leave..." Gus muttered, not looking at either man in the room. He didn't want to be here, but there was no fucking way he was going to be out there at night. His vision sucked beyond belief, especially at night. The last thing he needed was for some Rotten to spring up on him.  
Those fucking things are always hiding around corners and shit.

"I've been thinking of leaving for awhile...just..." Burnie trailed off, smile fading slowly. He really had wanted to leave for awhile, but..  
It was just hard. There was so much left here that he couldn't just forget. He bit him lip a tad too hard, but not enough to cause any bleeding. He remembered everything that had happened...all the deaths and goodbyes. Burnie never wanted to say goodbye again.  
Joel was staring at him intently, a firm frown plastered on his face. He seemed to be trying to read him. "Sorry. Uh...zoned out." Burnie stretched out his legs.

"It's fine. So, anyway...any other people I should worry about?" Joel didn't return to smiling, which struck both of the men as odd. "Nah...I've been solo for weeks..." Gus replied, almost completely apathetic. They then looked to Burnie, who froze up momentarily.  
"No. I've been alone." There was no need to explain, so he definitely wasn't going to.

Joel nodded once, a very small smirk forming. This guy was just absurd.  
"You guys going to stick around tomorrow? It'd be nice to get a solid team and all..." He inquired, looking between Gus and Burnie rapidly. Gus shrugged weakly, but it seemed he was onboard. "I'll, uh...see...." Burnie shifted uncomfortably, feeling the stares focused on him. "It's just...I'm not sure how this'll work out. I'll stick around a day or two, but after that..." Joel interrupted him quickly, raising up a single hand.  
"It's alright, I understand." He assured, smiling kindly. It actually seemed pretty genuine.

"So the plan tomorrow! There's a Target up the street and I need some assholes to help me scavenge!" Joel grinned as wide as possible, jerking a finger towards them. Gus scowled, but the very tiny smile that was there for a split second was noticed. Not so grumpy afterall.  
"Is it clear?" Burnie asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Should be. I mean, some amount of weeks ago these guys were stuck there, but the Rotten should've cleared out by now." Joel insisted, rather calmly. Gus almost didn't seem convinced, but he didn't bother speaking up.

"...Did the guys make it out?" Burnie had lowered his voice, changing the tone of the room. Joel looked serious, solemn, even. "I...don't know. The place was fucking surrounded...I couldn't do anything..." He tensed, eyes casted down. Gus glanced over, softening his stare. "You alright?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting together in a brief moment of concern. Joel waved him off, rubbing his forehead.  
"I'm fine. I just remembered I only heard one shot. That was before I could see the building, though..."

"I hate to, uh...change the subject...but do either of you fucks know what month it is?" Gus cleared his throat, looking to the others. "September...." Joel answered, taking out a small planner and pencil. "I've been keeping track..." He shrugged sheepishly, but smiled all the same. "Jesus...all of this started June, right? How in the fuck..." Gus ran a hand through his hair, looking exhausted.

Was it really month four? It didn't feel like it.  
"Hard to believe we've made it this far, huh?" Joel smirked, eyes half lidded now. "How long can we keep going, though?" Burnie mumbled to himself, pulling one of his knees close to his body. "We have to." Gus said quickly, still frowning.  
The little light that was left in the room had gone now, leaving the three in darkness. "We should get some sleep...see ya in the morning..." Joel stretched again, but it was hard to see.

Burnie and Gus muttered their goodnights to eachother and closed their eyes, exhaustion taking over quickly.


	3. Learning To Adapt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read Zombie Hunter, you'll "appreciate" something I've put in here ;D

When Burnie woke up, he noticed something immediately.  
Gus and Joel were talking and smiling. That just seemed weird, considering Gus' piss-poor attitude yesterday. After that, Burnie suspected the dude never smiled. Yet, there he was, chatting it up with that weird guy like they were old friends just catching up.  
Joel seemed to notice Burnie's eyes were opened and smirked right at him. "Well hey there! Morning, sunshine! Sleep well?" Burnie rolled his eyes and proceeded to sit up, grouchily staring at the others. "Sure, why not..." He deadpanned, scratching at his beard.

Gus snorted, taking a few steps closer. "Well aren't you pleasant, asshole?" He promptly received the finger from Burnie, but just returned it. "Oh yeah? Well for being such a dick yesterday, you certainly seem chipper!" Burnie retorted, sitting up. "Oh, fuck off!"  
"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Joel chanted, then thought to himself for a moment. "Kiss. Kiss!" Both men glared at him immediately.  
He put up his hands defensively and backed away, a small smile on his face. "Ladies, ladies! You're both beautiful!"

"Shut the fuck up." Gus insisted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, we're definitely the dream team, aren't we?" Burnie chuckled at his own comment, reaching for his stuff, which he slept on. Rather uncomfortably, might he add. Joel snickered, leaning against the wall. He appeared so relaxed and calm right now, and even the day before. Burnie had to wonder how someone could stay like that even after all the shit the world's faced.

Gus scratched at his nose, grabbing a small backpack. "So we going to get that shit or not?" He impatiently asked, looking to Joel. The older man grinned, nodding once for good measure. "Now that Sleeping Beauty's awake, sure. Let's get going." He headed outside the bakery, movement slow and sluggish. Gus and Burnie followed.  
He had to admit, though these two could potentially be just assholes, they weren't that bad. Still, he knew what happened when he got close to people.

Burnie wasn't one to be superstitious in any way, but the recent tragedies he had to face...there had to be something going on. Whenever he got close, people died around him. He didn't deserve to be alive right now, not when a huge amount of worthy people died because of him!  
"Hey, uhhh...Ernie?" It was Gus' voice. "Burnie." He corrected him, a somewhat stern glare spreading across his face. "Yeah, whatever...anyway...are you any good with Zombies?" He didn't even spare a glance towards Burnie, just kept on walking.

"Didn't you get the memo? People call them Rotten..."  
"Pff, yeah, but that's just fucking stupid. They're obviously zombies. You didn't answer my question, by the way." Just when Burnie thought he might've liked the guy. He definitely seemed straight to the point, no bullshit, just answers. "I'm alright with them." Burnie answered, deciding it best not to lie.  
"Gun experience?" Another question was rapidly thrown at him, the asker almost looking like he was giving him the silent treatment.

"Not really, just what I've been getting these past months...you?" Burnie tried to risk it a little, asking Gus the same question. The Mexican raised an eyebrow, as if caught off guard. "I did some hunting when I was younger..." He seemed to speak quickly, and was that a lisp?  
Joel turned to look back at the others and frowned. "Guys just going to talk without me? Kinda rude." For a moment, Burnie actually thought he might've hurt the guys feelings, but the grin that followed the statement broke that theory.

"Man, what's up with you?" Gus suddenly asked, getting a quizzical look from Joel. "What?"  
"You're always so god damn cheerful...that's gotta be unnatural!" He crossed his arms, scowling just like he was the night before. Joel shrugged his right shoulder, rubbing the back of his neck. "I dunno...s'been awhile since I've seen anyone, ya know?"  
"How long?"  
"Too long."

The time between the two's words was maybe a second at the most. Burnie chose to just watch, take in any information they might reveal about themselves. Right now, it was about judging their character.  
"I asked for a specific amount of time." Gus quickly turned harsh and demanding, his eyes narrowing. Joel tensed up and his smile faded. The subject seemed to discomfort him. "Doesn't matter..." He muttered, trying to walk a bit faster. "Obviously it does."

Joel bit the inside of his cheek, but finally answered.  
"You're the first people I've seen since June."  
Both Gus and Burnie were shocked. "June?!" Burnie repeated, eyes wide. That was when it happened, though! How could he have not seen anyone for so long?! No wonder he was so happy around them.  
"Jesus christ!" Gus breathed, threading his fingers in his hair. He obviously was just as shocked as Burnie.

"Yeah...anyway, doesn't matter, right?" Joel smiled again. "Besides, the Target's up ahead!" He pointed towards the building, smile growing wider. The three were silent the rest of the way, until they reached the doors. "Here we are! Let's go!" Joel forced opened one of the automatic doors, letting Burnie and Gus in before he entered aswell. Just like he said, the place seemed untouched. He looked the left and noted how a shelf was pushed up against a couple of the doors. He was right, there were people in here once.

"Oh, god..." Burnie stood frozen, staring at a corpse against the wall. Gus came up behind him and frowned, actually looking sad. "Said you heard a gun shot, right?"  
Joel nodded once.  
"Found your source..." He motioned towards the discarded hand gun next to the body and then to the bullet hole in its head. Burnie couldn't speak, he just stared at it. It was different seeing someone dead like this, when they weren't fully rotten, yet. And something about the way he went...

Gus kneeled down next to it, inspecting for some reason. "He was bit...look at that arm...must've shot himself before he could turn." He concluded, once again standing. The smell was overwhelming, but they all couldn't look away.  
The corpse was a man, but any more exact of an age was impossible. What was left of him wasn't much. "Oh, fuck..." Burnie felt like he was going to puke, so he averted his eyes.

"This could be us one day..." Joel muttered.


	4. Burnie Remembered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting chapters of this on my fanfiction tumblr now uwu  
> lads-action-news
> 
> So if you want, you can follow the blog and possibly see it update sooner?  
> I'll also be ONLY posting requests, unless I'm really proud of them, on my tumblr  
> Okay! Now onto what you came here for :D

Gus immediately turned to Joel, glaring. "Shut the fuck up." He demanded through clenched teeth. The older man rubbed at the back of his neck. "I know, I'm sorry...it's just, you know it's true!" He tried to defend himself, but Gus didn't want any of it. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes, nostrils flaring. It really wasn't a pleasant sight.  
"Don't fucking say that! You have to keep your shit together, and that's not helping!" He insisted, jerking a finger towards him. Joel frowned, but didn't dignify him with a response.

"Jesus christ, you're probably freaking Burnie out!" Gus turned to said man and his expression softened instantly. Burnie was staring at the body, face pale and mouth slightly open. He appeared frozen in time, shocked behind belief. "Burnie?" He didn't react to his name at all.  
"Burnie?" Gus asked again, actually looking concerned.

"Kathleen...died like this..." Burnie muttered quietly, blinking once slowly. Joel gave him a confused look, then glanced at Gus, who was equally unsure. "Who?" He asked.  
Burnie never ceased his cold stare at the corpse, but responded anyway. "Kathleen. She was, uh...a good friend of mine. Was bitten and I..." He screwed his eyes shut and bit at his lower lip. A single tear fell down his cheek as he struggled to explain. "Had to shoot her. Stop the pain she was in...."

"...Jesus...." Gus breathed, not sure how to even attempt to comfort Burnie. He took a few tentative steps forward, but it wasn't useful in the slightest. Burnie shyed away from him and continued to chew on his lip.  
"I...hate to be insensitive, but...we should...move on..." Joel told them, keeping his voice hushed. Burnie nodded, muttering his agreement before walking away. Gus glanced between the two men, but soon followed.  
Joel solemnly looked at the body and mouthed the word sorry, then leaving it behind.

As Burnie wandered around the aisles, he thought to himself a lot. Something about seeing another dead body brought back all the memories he tried to force from his mind. It wasn't a pleasant experience, and most certainly wasn't one he wanted to feel ever again. Still, the damage was done and all he could do was move on.  
That really was his entire life, moving on.  
He'd think he'd be used to it by now, and yet he was practically ready to throw up at the sight of the corpse.

Burnie was anything but fine.  
He lazily reached for a box of crackers, looking it over before shoving it in his backpack and moving on. The building was mostly dark, except for the faintness of the sunlight outside. Burnie kept walking, but tripped over a can, hitting the ground with an audible thud. He groaned in pain, sitting up and inspecting the object. Once he saw it was opened already and full of bugs, he chucked it away from him, panicking. "Fucking hell..." The brunette muttered, standing back up.

"You alright?" Joel asked behind him, causing the younger man to jump. "Jesus! You scared me, man." He complained with a stern scowl. Joel found it amusing and smirked as he leaned against one of the shelves. "Sorry! Didn't know you were so jumpy!" He teased, a single eyebrow being raised. What was up with this guy?

"Whatever..." Burnie mumbled, rolling his eyes and turning back to the shelves. "Hey, uh, before you go, Joel...why'd you take Gus and I in?" He glanced back to the other survivor, trying to read his face. That was most definitely impossible. Joel made a scrunched up face and dramatically stroked his chin. "Hmmm..."  
"Are you fucking serious right now?" Burnie deadpanned, receiving a grin from Joel. "I was lonely." He replied simply, then just as soon walked off, probably in search of supplies.

Burnie stood there thinking for a moment, a faint smile on his lips. That was certainly one weird fellow. When faced with impending doom and the uncertainty of the world, he just smiled. Now, though, Burnie understood just a bit better. Joel wasn't crazy or sadistic, he was so happy to have others around, that nothing bad seemed bad anymore. He chuckled to himself and shook his head, moving on to the next aisle.  
He was still weird, though.

Burnie took light steps and rounded a corner, spotting Gus not too far away. He had to resist the temptation to scare, knowing that would be risky. Guns were a thing now.  
Angry hispanic dudes with guns was also a thing.  
So instead he just walked over, getting Gus' attention pretty quickly. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem too disappointed. "Hey, Ernie."  
"It's Burnie..."  
"I know." Gus smirked evilly. What an asshole.

"So, uh..." He started, scratching at his nose. "Kathleen was...a friend?" Burnie's throat felt like it closed up immediately. Still, he managed a nod. "Sometimes it helps to talk about them, ya know? Not like how they died or shit...but what they were like." Gus avoided eye contact, obviously uncomfortable with the situation he created himself. "I didn't know her too well, really." Burnie muttered, biting the inside of his cheek.  
"Well, I dunno man...just talk about something..." Gus replied bitterly as he picked up a can of fruit.

"She was great. Knew her shit and didn't panic. She, uh, had this crossbow that she used...it was pretty fucking awesome. I left it with her corpse, though."  
"Where?" Gus interrupted, eyebrows furrowing.  
"Uhhh...not sure, somewhere up north? Whatever, it doesn't really matter." Burnie kneeled down to search the lower shelves. He sighed heavily seeing nothing. "Maybe untouched AFTER the apocalypse hit, but during the riots...people probably took all this shit." He said lowly, running a hand through his hair.

Gus was about to speak when he suddenly heard a loud crash about five aisles away.  
"The fuck was that?" He asked, looking confused. Burnie shrugged, standing up.  
"GUS! BURNIE!" Joel called from across the store. The two rushed over after that, hoping nothing bad happened.  
What they saw was two younger looking boys with their hands in the air and Joel's gun aimed at them.  
Wait.  
When did Joel get a gun?  
Burnie saw him enter the building with his metal baseball bat...was that the crash they heard. He shook the thoughts from his mind as soon as Gus spoke up.

"What's going on? Who are they?" He asked, looking to Joel.  
"I don't know, they tried to get me from behind." He responded quickly, looking very serious.  
"We're sorry! Okay?" The one said. The other soon joined in with their pleading. "Yeah! We didn't know if you were dangerous or not!"

"What are your names?" Gus scowled, but it really just looked like his natural face.  
"I'm Chris and, and this is Brandon!"


	5. Unwilling Expansion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me five attempts to write  
> I kept losing it  
> So now it fucking sucks  
> Sorry
> 
> (On a side note, I'm hoping to get five chapters of this done by the time monday rolls around, but we'll see)

Burnie took time to focus on the two boys infront of him. Chris appeared skittish and awkward, fingers twitching every so often, even with his hands held up in the air. The red and white striped polo shirt he wore had more red than white, though that seemed logical, considering the circumstances. His pants were a very faded blue and his shoes were all mucked up. There was so much fear in his eyes and somehow they were both wide and squinted.

Brandon, on the other hand, looked like he was trying very hard to act calm. His soft and solemn eyes mixed with the fact that his knees were shaking kind of gave away his true emotions right now. He was wearing a brown shirt with many darker colored stains across his chest. The tan shorts he had weren't exactly spotless either, and the white socks that went up to his knees weren't really WHITE perse. His hair was shortish, dark, and curly and he was growing the start of a mustache.

Burnie now glanced at Joel, who at the time, was asking the next question. "What the fuck were you thinking trying to sneak up on me?!" His usual humor-filled expression was replaced with a cold glare. The sudden change was a bit disconcerting to Burnie, but he shrugged it off, figuring it wasn't that weird. Chris tried to fumble out some sort of explanation, but simply babbled for half a minute, getting absolutely nowhere. Luckily, his friend was a lot more level-headed, managing a few sentences even while tremoring. "We weren't thinking! That's what happened! Look, we're really sorry...why don't we just go our separate ways and forget about this?" He was pleading now, voice cracking only a little.

Gus crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, clearly not swayed. "Yeah, uh huh. Let's just turn and start walking so you can FUCKING SHOOT US IN OUR BACKS!" The venom lining his voice caused the two guys to cringe in fear. Not everyday they'd meet someone as abrasive as Gus. With a quiet sigh, Burnie chose to intervene before things got out of hand. "Come on, Gus...just look at them! They're scared shitless. I highly doubt they'd be stupid enough to try anything." Brandon looked a bit hopeful, whereas his friend Chris shrunk down even smaller.

Gus now turned to Burnie, looking like he was ready to rip his head off. "Shut the fuck up, Burnie! Can't trust anyone anymore!" He was fuming, face slightly red. Burnie couldn't help but smirk to himself at the irony of the Mexican's words. "Dude, Gus...we're part of a group." Another eye roll from him in response.  
"I don't trust you assholes, I just trust these fucks even less!" He pointed out, actually jerking a finger towards them.

They flinched a little, probably thinking he was going to hurt them. The arguing went on a little more, but soon, Joel couldn't stand it. "Guys, come on! We still need to figure out what the fuck we're gonna do..." Within an instant, both men silenced and shifted their gaze to the two guys still standing with arms in the air. Oh yeah, there was still that issue, wasn't there?  
Giving Joel a stern look, Gus spoke again. "Then what exactly do you suggest we do?"  
"We ask them to join us."

It was obvious that Gus didn't approve of the plan, the way his eyebrows knitted together in frustration and his scowl intensified. Burnie, however, understood very well why Joel jumped to that conclusion. Still, it wasn't exactly the brightest idea. Once again, he looked the two over, watching as the hope fleeted from their eyes. To them, this must've been life or death, and with the irrational actions of Gus, they could've been right. Even with that taken in account, Burnie couldn't help but feel inclined to agree with Joel. Afterall, these idiots were scared and they were just that; scared idiots! Nothing more, nothing less. In the heat of the moment, they reacted without thinking.

Hell, anyone could relate to that.

"That's fucking stupid, Joel! We can't do that! They TRIED. TO. KILL. YOU." Gus argued, firmly standing his ground. "You can't possibly agree with, right?" He was now facing Burnie, feeling so certain that he was right. Obviously there were dangerous and needed to be taken care of in some way. Though, killing them wasn't too pleasant sounding, there had to be some way of securing themselves.  
"Actually, I do agree with him. We could use more help, honestly." It kind of warmed Burnie's heart to see Chris and Brandon internally celebrating. It was like he permitted their life. Still, that felt wrong, a bit sad even.

Joel lowered his gun, smiling faintly. It was exciting to him, meeting new people. With a little guidance, these two could be useful, and he truly believed that. His usual light-hearted expression returned and all at once, the tension practically disappeared. Gus was still clearly angry, but seemed to give up, just accepting the fact that there were now more people to be bothered by.  
"So, anyway! Guess proper introductions are in order. I'm Burnie, this is Joel, and the loud asshole is Gus. Don't worry, he's all bark and no bite!" Burnie couldn't help but grin, knowing without looking, that his comment wasn't appreciated by Gus.

Both Chris and Brandon were much more relaxed, smiling very faintly. When Burnie extended his arm, however, Chris shied away from it, letting Brandon take lead instead. With little hesitation, Brandon shook his hand and muttered a small 'nice to meet you'.  
Joel reached for his baseball bat and tucked away his gun after turning the safety on. He would hopefully not need it for awhile to come.

Hopefully, that is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY  
> As always, kudos and comments are really appreciated ;v; I love knowing what goes on in your guy's head while you read!
> 
> New characters wheeee


	6. Gus Cried Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah Well  
> Oops?

It was now nighttime, the group nestled together in Joel's poor excuse for a shelter. They all sat around the dim fire, mostly Chris and Brandon telling their stories of the apocalyptic life. Gus hardly listened, picking up stray sentences and rambling thoughts, but barely registering them as anything woth meaning. He was too busy with his own thoughts...

"We were still at our apartment, but it was pretty obvious we needed to get moving..." Chris gazed at the fire as he spoke, seeming a bit lost in his own words.

_What about you? Shouldn't you be moving?_

Gus shook his head a little and received a strange look from Burnie, who didn't appear to be incredibly invested in listening, either. He was probably distracted, too.

_Distracted? Ha! You're going fucking crazy. You're going to have one of your breakdowns right in front of them, aren't you? There's a reason you don't stick around often. They'll see the absolute mess you are, give it a little more time._

With shoulders tensed, Gus fought off his own wandering mind, hoping deeply that he could remain stronger just a bit longer. If he could hold out, then everyone would go to bed, and he could cry like the fucking baby he was. Yet, everyone kept chatting away, content expressions and light chuckles, all so comfortable with the demented world they now lived in. How did they manage that? Everything about this life was painful; The loss, the people, the air around him felt suffocating with every breath. Still, everyone marched on, like pathetic, mindless soldiers. No direction and all too much faith in a worthless life.

_Go ahead. Cry. Cry like a fucking bitch._

Why couldn't they just all stop and go to sleep? Gus felt the pressure of a thousand thoughts crushing his skull, a force that cracked away at his little remaining sanity. He wasn't a whole man anymore, though was he ever? There was no way he could deal with people and they shouldn't be forced to deal with him.  
"I still can't believe Chris and I made it this far..." At some point, Brandon must've taken over the story telling, because he was now finishing it off. Chris smiled faintly, turning to his friend. "No faith in us, huh?"  
"Shut up." There was no harshness, just fond teasing.

Gus felt like puking, but right when he suspected he would crack, Burnie practically saved him. "Well, it's probably pretty late. We should all get some sleep..." He suggested, everyone muttering some response of agreement. It was only a matter of moments before the group situated themselves and were sleeping soundly, leaving Gus to a comfortable silence.  
He shifted, sitting up with his legs splayed out. Though he was tremoring slightly, he knew it had to be soon...infact, now or never.

_Just leave. Go, before anyone can even know._

The brunette stood on shaking knees, gripping his backpack particularly hard as he slung it over his shoulder. With a solemn glance, he looked at everyone's sleeping figure. He was thankful, but he needed out of there, right then.  
Gus made his way out the door, shutting it very quietly behind him as he began his walk down the streets of Austin. He knew the place pretty well, considering he had lived here quite some time, but everything felt different at night, odd as it seemed.

What felt like hours clearly wasn't, because soon, there was a voice behind him.  
"The fuck are you going?" Burnie stood about ten feet away, tired eyes staring directly at him. "..." Gus couldn't bring himself to respond, simply continued to look over his shoulder, mind racing.  
He fucked up. No one was supposed to know, they were supposed to be asleep, no one was supposed to find out!

Judging by the sudden softening expression Burnie gave him, that last part was acccidently said out loud. "Gus...what...what are you talking about?" The pity in his voice made Gus feel sick to his core. He didn't want that. He didn't need that. "N-Nothing. Just, go back to the shelter. I'll be fine." Gus assured him, but everything about his demeanor said otherwise. As per usual, he was on the brink of panicking, tears already threatening to pour from him, voice quaking and hands trembling.

_You're so fucking stupid. He isn't supposed to know. No one is. You're just supposed to leave. Leave now. Go._

"I'm not going back unless you come with me." Burnie was suddenly stern again, crossing his arms and standing his ground, despite his obvious exhaustion. "That's...not happening. You guys won't want me around much longer." There was a moment of silence, both men just staring blankly.  
"Yeah we will, dumbass." Burnie suddenly retorted, a bit quietly. "I'm a detriment." It was said plainly and matter-of-factly. The words almost stun as they left him, but it was true. Gus was increasingly unstable, mind not fit for the new earth.

"So am I, but you don't see me running from my fucking problems!" That caught Gus off guard. He fully turned now, eyes wide. He didn't completely understand, but he silently hoped Burnie would elaborate. "I don't know what kind of demons you got lost in your head, but we all have some sort. I'm plain bad luck, people die around me all the time. People so much more capable than me. Still, I promised to stick around, and I'm fucking keeping that promise."

Gus started to cry.  
He felt so pathetic in that moment, sniffling quietly as he felt the onflowing emotions. Burnie took a few tentative steps forward and reached out to grip Gus' shoulder gently.  
"You'll be okay with us. Please?"  
"...Alright...."

_You're fucking screwed._


	7. Chris Tried To End It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It probably took me longer finding good inspiration music than to actually write this :I  
> Anywho, things just get sadder, sorry about that u-u  
> (Also, there's going to be three character chapters in a row, oops)

The next morning, the group came together, Burnie and Gus included. Light was peaking from the cracks in the building's fortification, a very light breeze blowing. Autumn was fast aproaching.  
Everyone idly chatted about where to go next, except for Chris, who practically hid behind Brandon. He couldn't get rid of a sick, nasty feeling inside of him. Like the whole world was ready to shatter underneath him. This feeling haunted him day in and day out, slowly chipping away at his confidence. This was no way to live.

Brandon, luckily, was a lot better off in this environment, talking away without much struggle. How was it he could do that? Just, assert himself somewhere and actually be accepted? Could it be THAT simple?  
Chris gnawed at his lower lip, lost in his own little world. It was clear to him that they didn't need him, they didn't want him. The only person who needed him was Brandon, but now...he was doing just fine.

All he could think was how painful this life was. With a hard swallow, Chris pulled his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them. Brandon shot him a glance and smiled, waiting until Chris forced a smile of his own before returning to the conversation. They had seen so much shit, Brandon deserved the momentary happiness. Before this, back when they were just roommates, surviving in their own apartment building, there was so much screaming. If there was one thing Chris couldn't take, it was screaming.

Loud, constant, desperate screaming. It filled his ears daily, pushing him closer to the brink of his own mental destruction. So many people, dying a bloody and tortuous death, one they certainly didn't deserve.  
Women, men, and children screamed as their lives were taken from them. It kept him up at night, and yet Brandon was just fine. He kept saying that there was nothing they could do, to just IGNORE it. That was impossible, though!  
To ignore something so brutally mortifying was not something he could do. Those were people. People who had a life once.

Chris had a life once.  
But that was a long time ago. Funny, how he thought he was doing better, that he was finally recovering, and then shit hit the fan. Maybe, if people weren't all dead and yet living, he could've been happy for once. That was a bit selfish of him to say, but still, his point stood.  
"So, we're in agreement, then? North we go." Burnie suddenly stood, snapping Chris out of his trance. He looked around a bit confused, but stood as well, just choosing to follow the crowd. Brandon handed him his stuff with a small smile, but soon that smile was a look of concern. He kept his voice quiet, not wanting the others to hear.

"Are you alright, man? You kind of look..." Brandon faded off. He didn't want to directly say what he was thinking about. They both knew what he meant. Chris shook his head and chose to gaze off to the side. "I'm fine, just a bit tired." It wasn't totally a lie, he WAS tired. Brandon accepted his friend's word and headed outside with him.  
Joel stopped once to look at the building sadly. "Guess it's time to move on, huh...?" He muttered rather sadly before rejoining the group. It was a long walk ahead of them

By the time night fell, they were making good progress, trying to get up to higher elevations, places where Rotten wouldn't be. Still, it was a LONG walk north, considering the size of Texas. It was obvious they needed to stop for the night, so they did, ducking into an abandoned house. The place seemed pretty cozy, though it was empty of any supplies. Still, it had no Rotten and there were a few bedrooms upstairs, where they could sleep. Gus opted to a room for himself, not wanting to "Wake up and see your dumb ass faces first thing in the morning."  
Joel and Burnie rolled their eyes, but were fine with rooming together in all honesty. That left Chris and Brandon, who obviously didn't care all too much that they would be sharing.

Still, thoughts haunted and tore away at Chris, leaving him emotionally exhausted before even reaching the house. Now, he was drained of all energy and couldn't wait to just sleep it away.  
Just as there was a chance to rest, though, Chris couldn't make himself sleep. He felt so useless...so worthless to the world. Obviously, he's felt this way before, but now, it felt so much worse. He had to fix things.  
He had to end it. Quietly as he could, Chris snuck out of the bed, heading towards his pack and pulling out his gun. He glanced back at Brandon and tried not to cry. This meant goodbye, and he wished there was more to say.

He wished he could say anything at all.  
With his gun in hand, the brunette slowly began to leave, hand gripping the door handle, before something stopped him.  
"Chris..." Brandon had woken up, sitting now in bed. When Chris turned, gun in hand and tears in his eyes, his friend looked hysterical. "Oh fuck...fuck, no! Chris...please you can't..." He was slow to get out of the bed, afraid any sudden movements could spell bad news. Chris was shaking now, trying to keep his choked sobs quiet as possible. It was bad enough Brandon woke up, he didn't need the others around. He didn't need people who didn't understand.

Chris couldn't find his voice, so he simply mouthed the words I'm Sorry. Brandon shook his head and came just a bit closer. "Don't say that. Don't do this. You've been doing so well...I told you to tell me if you were...Chris..." He knew he had to stay calm and not act angry, because he wasn't angry at Chris, he was angry at himself. He'd known for a few years now how bad he could get, he should've seen the signs, should've helped. Instead, though, he almost screwed up and let his friend walk out of the room...and out of his life.

"I...I'll g-get away f-from here...you-ou won't ha-ha-have to worry about R-Rotten..." Chris promised, trying to steady his breathing. He was having a panic attack now, and with the lack of steady oxygen, his limbs were already feeling numb. "No...you're staying here. I won't let you give up, not ever!" Brandon was so scared, his friend's life was on the line and just one wrong move could fuck everything up.  
"If you go a-and pull that trigger...you're admitting th-that there's no hope left in the world." The stuttering and shaking breaths wouldn't stop, but he had to get his point across.

"Chris, don't. Please. I need you. I need some...some sense of hope." At that point, the numbing limbs were too much and Chris collapsed to the ground, still sobbing and gasping for air. Brandon kneeled next to him and just spoke quietly, trying to calm him down. Most of the night was spent like that.


	8. Matt Found Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PROGRESS  
> Comments are super fantastic :'D
> 
> (Introducing new people is always hard heh)

Panting and running, he could hear his own heart pounding, the sweat beading along his forehead. The sun was relentless, but what was harder was the fear of looking back. He could hear them, not far behind. What hurt, though, was what he knew. The only way they could keep up was because they were still fresh. It was only an hour ago that he witnessed the most sickening display in his life. People he had come to trust were gone within moments, bloodied and already turning before his eyes. They followed him now, a desperate hunger in their dead eyes.

Needless to say, Matt Hullum had an issue.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins, forcing him to continue on, even when all he wanted to do was stop. Around a corner he dashed, nearly tripping over a fallen trash can, but dodging it barely. He suddenly rounded another corner, and met with something interesting.

It had been awhile since the group started moving again, Burnie and Joel taking up the lead. Though they wanted to stick to the stores and various buildings, they once again found themselves in a neighborhood. "Keep an eye out..." Joel instructed, eyes narrowed in concentration. Gus huffed in response, hands in his pockets.  
"Why the extra caution?" Brandon asked, a still-solemn looking Chris right behind him. Joel turned to look over his shoulder. "After the riots and the initial panic, a lot of people tried to hold out in their homes. Didn't work." Joel explained matter of factly.

Burnie scratched at his beard, glancing around worriedly. "Do you guys...hear something?" Everyone stopped for a moment, listening intently. There was definitely something getting closer. "Shit, I do..." Gus responded, keeping quiter than usual. "What should we do?" Chris' words went by quickly, his sudden fear very obvious. Joel motioned at everyone, directing them to a slightly secluded area between two houses. They all headed for it, keeping hidden while they waited for the source of the noise. What they expected wasn't exactly what they received, though.

When Matt went around that corner, he literally ran into a very startled Burnie. The two fell over on the ground, both groaning in pain. "FUCK!" Brandon exclaimed, prompting everyone to look up at the oncoming group of Rotten. Gus reacted quickly and calmly, shooting a few, while Joel got two with his baseball bat. Though Brandon fumbled at first, he managed to draw his gun and get the last two. "Jesus..." Gus breathed out in slight awe. It wasn't about the Rotten, though, because he was staring directly at Matt.

Matt was a decent looking fellow, considering the situation, almost clean shaven and with what looked like a newer maroon collard shirt. Though his eyes were wide with shock and terror, he didn't look worse for wear.  
The pants he wore had small tears, but nothing major, and his hair was one of those colors a bit difficult to describe. Not like it mattered, he was currently much more occupied with something else. That something else being a certain someone he actually recognized.

"Holy shit...Gus?" He muttered, eyebrows furrowing instantly. Gus gazed off to the side, scowling as per usual. "Long time no see, Matt..."  
"Okay, what the fuck is going on here?" Burnie suddenly questioned, looking at everyone's face for some sort of answer. When he received none, he sighed in frustration and stood up. "You know what, we can deal with this once we get out of here..." There was a silent agreement, everyone jogging away from the scene.

Once they were a respectable distance away, Burnie moved the group to a backyard, stepping over the fallen fence posts. He soon turned to Gus and then to Joel, hoping the older man would start the interigation. Luckily, he picked up on the hint and cleared his throat. "Sooo...Gus...? Care to explain?" Joel smiled a bit creepily, quite frankly not helping the situation at all. Gus ran a hand through his hair and glanced at Matt, who shifted uneasily.  
"Do I have to?"  
"Yes."

Gus groaned, rolling his eyes. Matt felt uncomfortable with so many eyes set on him. Sure, he didn't know anyone right now, except obviously Gus, but that didn't mean they had to stare him down like some fucked up alien. "I was once in a group with Matt. There. You have your fucking answer!" Though crude, his explanation was also very brief, and Matt knew he probably had to fill the gaps.  
"Back in...oh what was it...July?"  
"Early August, you dick."  
Matt half glared, choosing to still continue despite the 'term of endearment'.

"Anyway, Gus and I were in a group, for maybe a couple of days. He up and disappeared in the middle of the night and we never saw him again." Matt constantly shifted his eye contact with everyone listening, except obviously the begrudgin Gus. "Who's WE?" Chris asked, raising an eyebrow. "The, uh...Rotten you killed..." Matt looked at his feet sadly, trying to not think about it. Gus seemed to be affected by that, judging by the way he tensed up and clenched his fists. "How'd they fucking die...and why didn't YOU?!" The sudden outburst from Gus caused everyone to jump a little. "YOU SAID...YOU FUCKING PROMISED!"

Matt refused to respond, shuffling on his feet some more. "Fine. Fucking don't tell me, you dick! There's a reason I left!" Gus practically spat at him, flipping his off at the end for good measures. "No, Gus! You left because YOU can't deal with people! And I'm fucking sorry, but I couldn't protect them forever!" Matt retorted, really not wanting that shit right then. He just lost everything!

"Look...let's just drop it. I'm...glad to see you alive...even if you're a dick." Gus crossed his arms, but Matt knew he was being sincere.  
"Hey, I'm just happy I found you guys...I don't...think I would've made it..." He chuckled lightly, even though he was completely serious. Brandon shook his head, smiling. "Have some hope, man."

"...You're right."


	9. Everything Is Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like with Zombie Hunter, the last chapter will not be written until I get RWBY Zombies to chapter 9 u-u  
> At this point, I suggest reading all three fanfictions, because the last chapters will all tie together!

A few days had passed as the group made their way north, travelling along paths all too familiar to Burnie. Yet, he didn't realize what he was doing, retracing steps backwards. There was still part of him that refused to think about it, a part that refused to remember what happened, and how it shattered the world around him.  
How there it was in the distance, and the scream he wanted to let out tore away at his throat. Ever so calmly, though, he approached a corpse, kneeling beside it.

Joel walked up behind him, tilting his head in confusion. It wasn't until a few tears streamed down the man's face that Joel made the connection.  
Though the body was rotten beyond recognition, Burnie knew deep down, that this is where he left her. Kathleen.  
He shuddered, feeling a sickness wash over him. Brandon and Chris watched from a distance, not sure what to make of the scene. Matt looked to Gus, who simply waved him off, figuring it wasn't something to directly talk about. He had heard it before, had seen the look in Burnie's eyes as he talked about his departed friend.

"Somebody...fucking...they fucking took it..." Burnie muttered bitterly to himself, only Joel within earshot. "What? Took what?"  
"They fucking took it, Joel..." It was another sad whisper. He didn't know how to respond, simply glanced back at the group, who were minding how close they got. "They...FUCKING TOOK IT!" Burnie suddenly stood, kicking the tree directly behind Kathleen's body with all his force. It shook for a moment before Burnie let out a furious scream.  
"HER CROSSBOW! THEY FUCKING TOOK HER CROSSBOW!" He was elaborating better now, but his irrational behavior caused Joel to back away.

"Burnie, calm down..." Joel slowly raised his hands in the air, hoping to have some sort of positive affect. It was quite the opposite, though, because Burnie screamed again and now punched the tree, hardened autumn bark puncturing parts of his skin. A few droplets of blood escaped, but nothing major. Still, the possibility of an infection was rather high. Brandon, though looking confused, decided to try and help, taking a few tentative steps forward. "It's alright, Burnie...whoever took it...we'll find them." He wasn't even sure what the entire context was, but if it helped, then it helped.

"Damn right we will! I want to STRANGLE that FUCKER!" Burnie flexed his hand, staring at it intently. Brandon looked over at Joel, who shrugged weakly, as if in defeat. "Hey, uh...guys?" Matt meakly tried to get their attention, jerking a thumb towards some disturbed dirt. "I think...whoever took it, went this way." Burnie immediately walked over, inspecting the ground. As Matt pointed out, there was dirt imprints, probably footprints at one point. "We're going this way..." He mumbled darkly, already moving forward quickly. Chris followed, bringing Brandon with him, while Gus, Matt, and Joel kept a bit farther back.

"Psst...Gus?" Matt asked quietly, leaning sideways a bit. The brunette huffed to let him know he was listening, but not happy about it. "What's up with, uh..."  
"Burnie?"  
"Yeah..." Matt shifted uneasily, rotating his right shoulder, since it was a bit sore. Running into people wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. Gus continued to stare straight forward, a smug smirk on his face. "Why don't you ask him yourself, you dick?" He was obviously getting enjoyment out of this. Matt rolled his eyes, too used to the nickname. "Doubt he'd want to talk." Gus snorted quietly.

"Fine. He's a bit fucking crazy, as you can see. That dead chick, she was close with him, and he purposely left her crossbow with her. If you ask me, though, seems kinda stupid, ya know? Shit gets taken." Gus explained, scratching at the back of his head. Matt frowned, watching Burnie's anger wrack through his entire body. "Does that answer your question, you dick?"  
"Yeah..."

Chris had his hands in his pockets, fingers fidgeting in nervous tension. Brandon glanced at his and furrowed his brows. Since...yeah...Chris hadn't been the same. He was already a really nervous guy, but now, he was just worse. Funny, how before all this shit, he was a confident and clever guy. Guess that's what the apocalypse can do to you. Still, it was a bit worrisome seeing him so secluded from the group. If they were going to get anywhere, Brandon needed him to start talking to the other's.  
What if something happened to himself? How would Chris handle it...? Granted, that's not something he wanted to think about. It was best to just drop it.

"How do you feel about these guys?" Chris suddenly inquired, eyes casted down at his feet. Brandon shrugged, not exactly sure how to respond. "Other than this incident, Burnie seems okay...and Joel's a nice guy all around. Gus...hm, uh, yeah. He's..."  
"A dick?"  
"I guess. Kinda.......yeah. Matt's a cool guy, though. Surprised how much he talks to Gus. I guess they're friends, even if it doesn't look like it." Brandon finished, adding another shrug. "Maybe Matt's just looking for something familiar...being in a new group of people after just losing one...you'd want some form of familiarity." Chris pointed out, glancing at his friend. What he said made sense.

There was quite a few days of walking, until they reached a small looking town. They passed by a pizzeria on their left, looking pretty safe for the most part, but it was still light out, so they trecked on, eyes scanning the surroundings. Burnie had long since calmed down, but whenever anyone mentioned it, he went tense. There was something dark behind his eyes, constantly. Brandon and Chris agreed to not bring it up. Still, they felt like they were wandering a bit aimlessly, following what looked like footprints, but could they really tell?

A chilly autumn breeze caused Brandon to shiver momentarily. "October must be coming..." He muttered, mostly to himself. Chris nodded slowly in response.  
"What was that?!" Everyone looked to Gus, who had stopped in his tracks, looking at a roof. "What's up?" Matt asked rather calmly. The others were a bit cautious now, glancing around the small town. Gus shook his head, a hand reaching up to thread itself in his hair. "Fuck...thought I saw someone..." He breathed out, narrowing his eyes.

"It was probably nothing. Your vision's not the best." Joel teased, loving the glare he received. Then, a shot rang out, and they ducked for cover. "What the FUCK?" Burnie cursed, already behind a car with Chris and Brandon. Joel, Matt, and Gus were hiding in an alleyway, not exactly under a lot of protection. "Told you!" Gus shouted at Joel, having to raise his voice to be heard over more gunshots. "Not the fucking time, dumbass!" Joel retorted, becoming serious within a matter of seconds.

Gus didn't speak again, instead pulling out his gun. As he went to shoot back, Burnie called out to him. "Don't bother! I see, like, twelve fucking guys up there! We're outnumbered to hell!" There was a moment of time where they all exchanged looks, but no one spoke. Finally, Brandon did.  
"Let's just get out of here! Quick!" He suggested, pointing towards the end of the alleyway. There was a gate, but the bullets weren't getting that far, and the could climb it. Burnie gave a thumbs up to him and watched as Gus and Joel went without hesitation. Matt waited a second, wondering if he should help the others get over to the alleyway.

"We'll be fine! Go!" Burnie insisted. Matt gave a concerned look, but quickly ran off, seeing that Gus waited for him. "I remember you're bad with climbing..." He explained, helping him over. Meanwhile, the gun shots had ceased, causing Brandon to silently rejoice, and Chris to get a bad feeling.  
"Quick, let's go..." Burnie stated, beinb the first to move and Chris shortly behind him, not wanting to stay there a second more.  
They reached the end of the alleyway, Burnie getting over the fence and Chris on his way over.

That's when everything turned to hell.

Brandon screamed in pain, falling over as his leg bled. "BRANDON!" Chris cried out, but before he could go help him, Burnie yanked him the rest of the way over. "WHAT THE FUCK, LET GO, HE NEEDS ME!" The younger man struggled against Burnie's strength, but couldn't overpower. More gunshots rang out and they didn't have time to stand around. "JUST...GO!" Brandon managed inbetween pathetic sobs of pain. Chris protested like there was no tomorrow, but was dragged off just in time to see masked men grab Brandon roughly.

The image would be forever in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID YOU SEE THAT COMING?  
> For those who read Zombie Hunter, there's a LOT of referencing to it, tell me if you catch it all uwu


	10. Here We Are

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IF YOU HAVE NOT READ ZOMBIE HUNTER OR RWBY ZOMBIES  
> READ THEM BEFORE THIS CHAPTER  
> PLEASE  
> IT WILL MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE IF YOU DO

_"Talk." Brandon squirmed against the bindings, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. "I...I don't...we don't have a base!" He had been arguing his point all day, but to no avail. Whatever he said, they wouldn't believe. "Hit him." A gun was smacked against his head for the fifth time and he was starting to bleed. "F-Fuck...please...I swear...I swear..." He was crying pitifully. All he could think about was that Chris was safe, though. That was all that mattered._

"Go! Go!" Burnie yelled to his group, dragging a very determined Chris along with him. "Where?! These assholes will find us!" Gus called back, never ceasing his running. "Fuck if I know, just keep going!" So they did. After running for awhile, Joel, out of breath, pointed to a large powerplant not too far away. They all celebrated in their heads, running straight towards it. They weren't even sure if anyone was following them anymore, but it didn't matter, they needed to be safe. Matt was first to stop, just at the front entrance, which was pretty open.

"Shit! Stop where you are!" A puerto rican stood with his gun raised, looking a bit terrified. Burnie immediately held up his hands and got the others to do so aswell. "Fuck! We're sorry! We didn't know anyone was here!" He pleaded desperately. Joel bit the inside of his mouth nervously, not liking the look of the situation. A bearded man came up behind the guy with the gun and whispered something in his ear before running off.

It was awhile of just standing there, worrying what would happen to them. After a bit of waiting, a ginger with fierce eyes wandered over. The puerto rican still held up a gun and had it pointed at them, Chris crying a bit still, considering his loss.

"What the fuck...who are these guys?" The ginger asked the bearded man, stepping forward. "You could just ask us, ya know." Burnie pointed out, glaring behind his glasses. It was a risky move, but he knew he had to take risks every now and then. With a small sigh, the man stepped up to Burnie. "Alright. I'll bite. What's your fucking name?"  
"Burnie. Uh...Burnie Burns." He suddenly felt a bit scared with the leader in his face. Afterall, he was quite close-up. "Good. I'm Michael. Now what the fuck are you doing here?" Venom lined his voice, and man did he seem tough. No way this guy was just messing around, he was fucking serious.

"We...were attacked." Burnie replied, looking towards Chris, who was still crying. He felt bad, knowing there wasn't anything he do to console the guy. Brandon's loss was so sudden, none of them had a chance to react properly. Heck, Burnie hadn't even managed to process it yet.  
"Chris and I barely made it out, but...we lost someone..." He muttered darkly. "Fucking assholes just started shooting us! Came out of nowhere!" Gus suddenly shouted, obviously done being quiet..  
"Gus, I can handle this!" Burnie insisted, glaring Gus down. He hated when he tried to ruin things. They needed to think like a team, damn it! "Pff, right. THAT'S why we're being held captive! I think even Matt would be doing better than you!"  
"Please leave me out of this..."

With a frustrated sigh, Burnie closed his eyes. "Look, I'll tell you what happened. You can make your decision after that...alright?" He was hopeful. There had to be some way to get on the right side with this guy. Sure, he seemed like a hardass, but he had a group, so obviously that wasn't the whole story. Heck, there was a girl standing near him, and she didn't look distressed by this guy, Michael. The man with a beard, though, seemed panicky about everything, and that wasn't always a good sign. "Alright. What happened?" Michael crossed his arms, waiting for the story.

"Man...that's rough..." The puerto rican muttered after listening to Burnie's story. The brunette shrugged weakly, eyes full of sadness. "Yeah, well...we've made it..."  
"I'll talk it over with my group, but...I think it's fine if you guys stick around...someone I once knew, always said....strength in numbers..." Michael replied, suddenly looking even sadder than Burnie. Maybe he just thought of something? Or perhaps he was just...whatever, he needed to focus on more important matters. Burnie smiled, looking thrilled. "I appreciate it...really, we all do!"

"Oh, god...Ryan!" The bearded man suddenly breathed out, pointing at some group not too far away. Who the fuck were all of them? "The fuck is he doing...?" Michael had muttered.  
The girl looked so beyond shocked, frozen in place for a moment, before rushing forward and tackle-hugging some guy and pulling in the others to join. "Found her group!" A guy apparently named Ryan called, waving. "Found a group of our own!" Michael replied, doing a small wave.

With the new strangers group a bit teary eyed, eventually they all stood together, glancing from person to person.  
Burnie looked to Michael and then to some guy apparently called Monty or something? He felt a small warmth in his heart. This was going to work out, it had to work out! He wasn't going to lose anyone else and these all seemed to be very decent people...  
Funny, how lucky he had been. After all the death around him for months, he had finally found some life.  
And yeah, that was worth fighting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ THE END NOTES OF ZOMBIE HUNTER IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY  
> IT'S IMPORTANT


End file.
